Lithium hydroxide production outside China continues to encounter operational hurdles and softer downstream demand, slowing the pace at which new capacity can achieve stable commercial output.

Four years after Russia’s unprovoked, attempted full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Fastmarkets examines how the war has reshaped the Ukrainian and global steel and grain markets, outlining the key challenges faced by these sectors as they have adapted and endured.

The publication of Fastmarkets' Value-In-Use (VIU) indices for February 25 2026 were delayed due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.

The publication of the affected price was delayed for 2 hours 36 minutes. The following assessment was published late: MB-LI-0043 Spodumene min 6% Li2O, contract price, cif China, $/tonne This price is a part of the Fastmarkets industrial minerals package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of this price, or if […]

Fastmarkets proposes to modify its black mass price assessments for NCM black mass in CIF South Korea, CIF Southeast Asia, EXW Europe and EXW USA to bring them into closer alignment with newly-adopted Chinese import standards.

Mariana Minerals is aiming to reduce US lithium production costs by roughly 20% using software to manage plant operations, the company’s chief executive officer told Fastmarkets.

Imerys has placed its Imerys British Lithium (IBL) project into care and maintenance, suspending active development for the foreseeable future as it reassesses capital allocation and seeks a long-term partner, the company announced on Friday February 20.

The Canadian government’s recent efforts to curb unfair steel imports and protectionist measures for its domestic steel industry are “not enough,” and Canada needs to do “exactly what the US is doing,” the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Zekelman Industries, Barry Zekelman, told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview on Wednesday February 11.

This price launch will broaden coverage of the antimony market, complementing existing Fastmarkets’ antimony offerings. The new China domestic price will provide market participants with an important additional reference point, capturing the unique dynamics of the Chinese market, particularly in the wake of antimony export controls that have raised the need for domestic market transparency. […]

Discover how fear, deglobalization and AI are transforming the copper market. Insights from the Fast Forward podcast's interview with David Lilley of Drakewood Capital.